THE FLATS – No. 23 Georgia Tech opened the weekend battling South Carolina, but dropped a 4-3 decision on Friday afternoon at the Carolina Tennis Complex. The Gamecocks won the doubles point and three singles matches to clinch the win.
Doubles
Georgia Tech (2-3) staged a late rally for the doubles point, but couldn’t pull out the early lead as South Carolina (4-1) took two courts. The Gamecocks grabbed the early advantage with a 6-0 win on court three before Tech’s Carol Lee and Kate Sharabura evened the field from court one. The Jackets jumped out with a 4-0 lead over Ayana Akli and Olympe Lancelot before the Gamecocks got on the scoreboard. Lee and Sharabura closed out the win, 6-2, to leave the decision on court two where Kylie Bilchev and Alejandra Cruz faced Misa Malkin and Sarah Hamner. Tech trailed 4-0 early before Bilchev and Cruz rallied back, winning the next three games to setup a 4-3 tally. But Malkin and Hamner snapped the run to pull out a 6-3 win and clinch the doubles point.
Singles
South Carolina won the first three singles matches to clinch the match victory. Malkin took court four first, defeating Given Roach, 6-3, 6-2, before Shahar Biran topped Cruz on court three. Biran jumped out with a 5-2 lead in the first set before Cruz moved back to 5-4, but the Gamecock held strong to take the match, 6-4, 6-0.
The Gamecocks clinched the match at 4-0 on court two. Bilchev challenged a top five ranked opponent, trailing early against Hamner, but battled back to 4-all. Knotted at 6-6, Hamner took a 3-1 lead in the tiebreak and pushed her lead out to 7-2 to take the first set, 7-6 (2). Hamner carried momentum into the second set to clinch the match, 7-6 (2), 6-0.
Tech won the last three matches to account for the final 4-3 score. Competing at the top spot, Lee collected a straight-set win over a top-10 ranked opponent in Akli. The two traded games in the first set to a 6-6 standstill before Lee raced out with a 5-1 lead in the tiebreak. Akli fought back to 5-4, but Lee held strong, winning 7-5. The Jacket grabbed a 3-1 lead to open the second set, but Akli didn’t go lightly, rallying back to take a 4-3 advantage. But Lee rattled off the next three games to pocket the match, 7-6 (5), 6-4, to put Tech on the scoreboard.
Sharabura pulled out a win on court six over Lancelot in a super tiebreak. The Jacket controlled the first set, 6-4, but Lancelot fought off match point in the second set to force a tiebreak at 6-6. Lancelot won the breaker, 7-4, to head into a super tiebreak. Sharabura opened with a 3-1 lead and remained steady for an 11-9 victory.
On the last court to finish, Jain rebounded from a doubles loss to top Elise Mills in three sets. After dropping the first set, 6-1, Jain regrouped and took the next two sets, 6-4, 6-3.
Georgia Tech returns home to welcome Northwestern to the Ken Byers Tennis Complex on Sunday. First serve is slated for noon.
RESULTS
Doubles
1.Carol Lee/Kate Sharabura (GT) def. Ayana Akli/Olympie Lancelot (USC) 6-2
2. Misa Malkin/Sarah Hamner (USC) def. Alejandra Cruz/Kylie Bilchev (GT) 6-3*
3. Elise Mills/Shahar Biran (USC) def. Mahak Jain/Given Roach (GT) 6-0
Order of finish: 3,1,2*
*Clinched
Singles
1.No. 107 Carol Lee (GT) def. No. 6 Ayana Akli (USC) 7-6 (7-5), 6-4
2. No. 4 Sarah Hamner (USC) def. No. 123 Kylie Bilchev (GT) 7-6 (7-2), 6-0*
3. No. 76 Shahar Biran (USC) def. Alejandra Cruz (GT) 6-4, 6-0
4. Misa Malkin (USC) def. Given Roach (GT) 6-3, 6-2
5. Mahak Jain (GT) def. Elise Mills (USC) 1-6, 6-4, 6-3
6. Kate Sharabura (GT) def. Olympe Lancelot (USC) 6-4, 6-7 (4-7), 1-0 (11-9)
Order of finish: 4,3,2*,1,6,5
Alexander-Tharpe Fund
The Alexander-Tharpe Fund is the fundraising arm of Georgia Tech athletics, providing scholarship, operations and facilities support for Tech’s 400-plus student-athletes. Be a part of the development of Yellow Jackets that thrive academically at the Institute and compete for championships at the highest levels of college athletics by supporting the Annual Athletic Scholarship Fund, which directly provides scholarships for Georgia Tech student-athletes. To learn more about supporting the Yellow Jackets, visit atfund.org.
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